Tragedy for Maggert

His brother died in a plane crash

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. - Shortly after completing his round of even-par 72 Thursday, Jeff Maggert got unconfirmed reports of a plane crash outside of Denver that may have involved his brother. Hours later the tragic news was confirmed - 55-year-old Barry Maggert died while flying his single-engine plane to the college graduation of one of his twin 23-year-old sons.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with Jeff and his family," said PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem.

Jeff Maggert withdrew from the tournament Thursday night and flew to Colorado yesterday morning.

"You never know. It's terrible," said Todd Hamilton, who played alongside Maggert Thursday. "You just never know."

Barry Maggert was an engineer who lived in Carbondale, Colo. Officials said a 23-year-old passenger in the plane was injured and taken to a local hospital. His identity was not released.

Curious George

Former president George H.W. Bush stopped by briefly in the morning, and to no one's surprise he chose the island-green 17th for his viewing pleasure . . . With his ball having run through the green at the 17th, coming to rest against the railroad ties, Woody Austin had a dilemma. He could try to hit it righthanded, but he would run the risk of losing his balance and falling into the water. That act served him well in last year's Presidents Cup, but Austin didn't test fate again. Instead, he turned a wedge upside down and pitched it lefthanded. It was a nice shot, too, only he missed the 10-foot attempt at par . . . The water-ball count at the 17th was 18, making the two-day total 38. It played to a field average of 3.319 with 23 bogeys, 16 double bogeys, and just 11 birdies.

All wet

Having double bogeyed the par-3 13th to go 9 over, Charley Hoffman had had enough. There were many reasons why, but he took the easiest way out - tossing his putter into the greenside pond. His ordeal wasn't quite over, however, because he bogeyed 14, then sprinkled a birdie at the 16th in with double bogeys at 15, 17, and 18 as he shot 83 -159 and missed the cut by a mile . . . Jerry Kelly holed a fairway bunker shot from 146 yards to eagle the par-4 fifth. There was also an eagle at the 164-yard, par-3 eighth when Robert Garrigus made an ace with an 8-iron. Kelly's heroics helped him, as he shot 72 -146 to make the cut, but no such luck for Garrigus. He shot 76 -155 and missed the cut . . . When the cut fell at 3-over 147, 74 players made it into weekend play, most notably 48-year-old Fred Couples. The two-time Players Championship winner had it to 4 under, but double bogeyed the par-3 third, shot 72 -142, and is tied for seventh. Among those who missed the cut were Brandt Snedeker (76 -148), Sean O'Hair (73 -148), Vijay Singh (73 -148), Bubba Watson (73 -149), Justin Rose (73 -151), Lee Westwood (78 -151), Geoff Ogilvy (75 -152), Zach Johnson (79 -155), and K.J. Choi (78 -157) . . . Jonathan Byrd finished birdie-birdie-birdie to shoot 71 -147 and make the cut on the number.